WLTX News 19, Columbia

Ride worker killed in accident at South Carolina fair

(Sunday, October 19, 2008) - At the South Carolina State Fair in Columbia, South Carolina, a 51-year-old maintenance worker was killed
in a freak accident involving a carnival ride called the Inverter. The man was crushed by a 10,000-pound counter-weight as it swung through
a danger zone at the base of the ride. The victim was attempting to retrieve a tape measure that was left in the area, which was not visible
to the public.

KPIX News CBS 5, San Francisco

Two injured in ride mishap

(Monday, August 4, 2008) - At the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk in Santa Cruz, California, two people suffered
minor injuries when part of a whirling amusement ride called the Cyclone struck them. Witnesses said that the
ramp which leads passengers on to the platform came loose. A 9-year-old boy who was on the ride suffered a leg
injury, and a woman who was running away from the ride was struck by debris; neither of the two was seriously
injured.

Photo: Reuters

Rainbow collapses; at least 20 injured

(Tuesday, July 15, 2008) - At Liseberg theme park in Göteborg, Sweden, between 20 and 30 people were injured
when a ride called the Rainbow collapsed. Thirty-six people were on board the ride, which consists of a rotating
vertical arm with a platform connected to one end. Some riders were thrown from the platform, but none suffered
any life-threatening injuries. Three people were hospitalized with injuries including rib and pelvis fractures.

Photo: Ekstra Bladet

Roller coaster car derails, crashes to pavement; 4 injured

(Friday, July 4, 2008) - At Tivoli Friheden in Aarhus, Denmark, four people were injured in an
accident on the Cobra, an inverted roller coaster. A park official reported that the first car
detached from the train and fell to the pavement underneath the ride. The victims were hospitalized
with non-life-threatening injuries.

The Cobra is a new ride that opened in June. It reaches a maximum height of 70 feet and a top speed
of 40 miles per hour.

The ride has been shut down while investigators determine what caused the accident.
Early reports indicate that a broken axle may be to blame.

Park Statement:

Cobra operation indefinitely suspended due to accident

Last night, Friday, shortly before the close of business at 11:00pm, there was a serious accident involving the
park's new roller coaster, Cobra. The front car of the train, in which two passengers were sitting, fell from the
other cars down to the pavement. In total, four people were injured in the accident. The passengers have injuries
and fractures and information from authorities indicates that no one will have any lasting physical injuries.

The cause of the accident has not yet been determined. Technological Institute, in cooperation with police and
Tivoli Frehedens technicians, are working to find the cause for this deeply unfortunate incident. It is clear however,
that there was a mechanical problem and not a human error. Cobra is now closed and it is unclear what to do with the
ride in the future.

Teen who entered restricted area underneath roller coaster killed

(Saturday, June 28, 2008) - At Six Flags Over Georgia theme park in Atlanta, Georgia, a 17-year-old boy was killed
when a roller coaster train struck him. The victim climbed over two 6-foot-tall fences and entered a restricted
area underneath the Batman roller coaster. The area was marked by signs located around the perimeter of the ride
that read: "Danger Zone," "Do Not Enter," and "Authorized Personnel Only." He was struck by the ride's train, which
was traveling near its top speed of 50mph, and decapitated.

Six Flags Over Georgia Statement:

A 17-year-old park visitor scaled two six-foot fences that secured the Batman roller coaster and was struck and
killed by the coaster at approximately 2 p.m. today. We do not know why this person was intent on gaining access
to this restricted area, as multiple signs clearly state: Danger Zone / Do Not Enter / Authorized Personnel Only.
Some witnesses have stated that the individual was trying to retrieve something he had lost. Others reported that
he was trying to touch the ride. This is merely speculation at this point, and we are working with park visitors
and local police to learn more. No guests on the ride were injured. The visitor’s family was at the park with him,
and Six Flags representatives are currently with the family. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family.

CLOSE CALL ON DROP TOWER

ABOVE: A broken cable dangles below the feet of riders
on the Hurakan Condor freefall drop tower at Port Aventura theme park in Spain.
The ride's emergency stop system was engaged, possibly preventing a repeat of an accident
last year in which a girl's feet were
severed by a broken cable on a similar drop tower ride at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom.

RIGHT: Park maintenance workers spent nearly an hour preparing the car and its path for a
safe drop. No one was injured. The ride was shut down, but the rest of the cars were running with
passengers just hours later.

California May 16, 2008 Yo-Yo Incident

Whereas investigation into this incident is still taking place, there is evidence that the ride
involved in this incident did not meet manufacturer specifications. Chance again stresses the
need for owners of Yo-Yo amusement ride to follow all published manufacturer’s specifications
found in the ride manual, service bulletins, and the Chance Field Inspection Guide. Particular
care must be taken in following all requirements as set forth in Chance service bulletin numbers
B376R1077-0 and B376CRM146-A.
The Yo-Yo amusement ride is a safe design and can be operated safely as long as it is maintained
per the manufacturer’s specifications.

- Chance Rides Manufacturing

(Friday, May 16, 2008) - At the Calaveras County Fairgrounds in Angels Camp, California, 23 people were injured when
a circular chain-suspended swing ride called the Yo-Yo collapsed. Three people were airlifted to local hospitals and
were reported to be in serious condition. The twenty others who on the ride at the time of the collapse are thought to
have suffered minor injuries. At least fourteen of the them were taken to regional hospitals for treatment.

Witnesses said that the ride collapsed as the swings were at their maximum height of approximately 20 feet. When the
ride gave way, all of the swings came crashing down toward the middle of the ride. Before the seats struck the ground,
some of them struck parts of the ride or other swings.

"It dropped down and dragged the kids around in circles," said one witness to KTXL-TV in Sacramento.

Another witness told the Union Democrat, "We just saw people bouncing off the ground and hitting the ride.

"It happened three times. It bounced, bounced and bounced, then people started hitting the ground."

The ride is operated by Midway of Fun, based in Oroville, California.

The Calaveras County Sheriff's Office and the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health are investigating.
All of the fair rides have been shut down.

Also on Friday, two carnival workers were arrested from the same fairgrounds -- one for failure to register as a
sex offender; the other for a warrant for assault with a deadly weapon and for failure to register as a sex offender.
One suspect ran from police, who chased him into an adjacent lot, pepper sprayed him, and took him into custody.

UPDATE: An initial inspection of the ride by state investigators indicates that the accident was caused
by mechanical failure. All those who were hospitalized have been released.

Carnival worker injured in fall from Roll-O-Plane

(Sunday, April 27, 2008) - A carnival worker was hospitalized in critical condition after he
fell 45 feet from the top of a Roll-O-Plane ride at a carnival in Hamblee, Georgia. Witnesses said
that the worker had loaded two passengers into one of the ride's cars and noticed that the door
of the car was not properly closed. As he attempted to lock the door of the car, the ride started.
The worker held on to the door and was hauled into the air, then lost his grip and fell from the top
of the ride. He landed on a steel support beam at the base of the ride.

Local firemen were called in to rescue the two passengers, who were left stranded at the top of the ride
for about 20 minutes, but were not injured.

The ride is owned and operated by Gold Medal Rides.

Boy, 6, killed in fall from Ferris wheel

(April 26, 2008) - In Berdsk, Novosibirsk (Siberia), a 6-year-old boy fell about 50 feet to his death from a
Ferris wheel after he had climbed over the fence of a closed amusement park and boarded the ride, which had
been somehow activated. The boy was left dangling from one of the cars for nearly 90 seconds after he apparently
tried to exit the car. As the ride continued to move, the boy fell from a point near the top of the wheel.
He collided with the ride's spokes several times until his body came to rest on the roof of a car at the bottom
of the wheel, about 10 feet above the loading platform.

Two other girls, aged 10 and 11, had also boarded the ride, but were uninjured.

Police are trying to determine why there were no security guards inside the park, who started
the ride, and why the controls were left unlocked.

Most of the witnesses were children, but at least two adults -- one of whom recorded the incident with a cell phone
-- were present. The adults can be heard laughing and joking throughout the cell phone video, which was later posted
to an internet website. Police are trying to
learn their identity.

Maintenance workers faulted in Kentucky Kingdom drop tower accident

"For safety, best performance and long life of the equipment, a reliable preventative
maintenance program must be carried out according to the maintenance guidelines. For damages caused by failure to
follow these instructions or by changes in the systems … no claims can be made to the manufacturer."
- Specifications of ride manufacturer Intamin AG

(Monday, April 14, 2008) - Ride technicians at Six Flags Kentucky Kingdom theme park never performed
a hands-on inspection of any of the 10 cables on the Superman Tower of Power thrill ride that severed
a girl's legs last summer, according to a sworn statement given by the park's ride maintenance manager,
John Schmidt. He also stated that technicians did not lubricate the cables monthly, as recommended by the ride's
manufacturer, Intamin AG of Switzerland. The ride's cables were tested periodically with a micrometer, he said.

The ride manual indicates that maintenance technicians should conduct a "rag test" to detect for
snags or fractures in the cables at least every six months. Workers were to perform the test by wrapping
a cotton rag around each cable while the ride is set to maintenance mode. The manual states that "snagging of
the rag on the cable indicates broken wires or some other significant flaw is present."

Schmidt said that workers performed visual inspections of each cable, but that "It was never brought to my attention
to check those cables with a rag for snags."

When asked whether the ride's cables had been lubricated, Schmidt answered, "Not by a person, no."
He then explained that some of the lubrication that was applied to the car rails would "end up on the cables,"
and that high winds would sometimes blow the cables into the rails, causing them to pick up grease.
Schmidt believed that there was excessive grease on the cables, and that this would cause cables to slip
on the drum as the ride was in motion. To prevent slippage, he said that corn starch was applied to the cables
to dry them. Intamin's specifications did not indicate that corn starch be used at any time.

Earlier this year, a 16-year-old ride operator who was on duty at the Superman tower said that she "heard
something snap" as the car was lifted to the top of the tower, then moved into a position where she could
see the problems with the cables. She then called to the other operator to press the emergency stop button.
"… I was like, 'Press the stop button,' then by the time we did that, it was too late. It was already down."

Six Flags denies responsibility for the accident. The parents of the girl who was injured, Kaitlyn Lasitter,
are suing Six Flags for negligence. They are not suing Intamin or the manufacturer of the cable that snapped.

The exact cause of the failure has not yet been determined, however one test by a metallurgical laboratory
revealed that, while there was grease around the ends of the cable, "the center surrounding the fracture
exhibited rust and cracks without substantial grease.

Ride collapses in South Africa

(Friday, March 21, 2008) - Seven people escaped serious injury when an amusement ride called
"Crazy Wave" collapsed at Emperors Palace in Johannesburg, South Africa. The riders were taken
to a hospital where they were treated for neck and back pain.

Carnival worker, 15, killed as workers dismantle ride

(Sunday, January 27, 2008) - In Victoria, Texas, a 15-year-old girl was killed when part of an amusement ride struck
her in the head as workers were disassembling the ride. The girl worked as a ticket taker for Blue Ribbon Entertainment
of Houston, Texas. Workers say that a piece of the ride, called the Hammer Slammer, fell and hit the girl. The
accident happened on the girl's first day of work.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has opened an investigation.

Bangkok Post

Water slide fails at Siam Park; 28 children injured

(Saturday, January 12, 2008) - At Siam Park in Bangkok, Thailand, 28 children were injured when a section of a water
slide gave way, according to police reports. Four children were hospitalized in critical condition.

The slide, called "Super Spiral," is three stories high. Park officials said that the collapse occured at a section
near the end of the slide that was about 6-8 feet high. Some of the children fell through the slide when it collapsed.

Victims suffered head injuries, broken limbs, and bruises.

Authorities have ordered the ride shut down and an investigation is underway. Some witnesses said that children
were shaking the slide.

The park accepted responsibility and promised to cover the victims' medical expenses.

Three months ago, an accident on a log flume ride at Siam Park left one woman dead and five others injured.

UPDATE: Overwhelmed with grief over the park's recent accidents, Siam Park president Chaiwat Leungamornphan has
announced that he is selling the park.